Mind The Gap
by Juliet'sEmoPhase
Summary: A little meet-cute on the London Underground. Muggle AU, no smut, birthday present for the lovely Lu!


Mind The Gap

Harry closed his eyes and prayed for the horror to be over. Was there anything, he thought to himself as he got another jab in the ribs and the carriage swayed under his feet, worse than the Monday morning commute?

 _No,_ he decided resolutely. There was not.

He was crammed in on the Central Line which he was convinced, especially during the summer months, was fuelled by the fires of hell itself. The sweat was running down his back leaving a damp trail along his spine that he was definitely going to have to fix before going to his desk. He just prayed there wouldn't be anyone in the men's loos on the third floor and he could stand under the hand dryer for five minutes and become human again.

The train ground to a halt at the next station and the usual wrestling match began as people battled their way off before those on the platform could start pushing their way on. Harry sighed in resignation and managed to squeeze enough elbow space in which to manoeuvre his mp3 player from his pocket and skip a couple of tracks until he found a track with a strong enough base line to fortify him for the next few minutes of the journey.

People were still moving all around him like a game of tetris to try and find enough room, and he found himself being turned around into one of this station's new arrivals. He was a little taller than Harry with sharp features and pale blond hair, and a suit that probably cost five times as much as Harry's did. In his arms he clutched a briefcase, several large rolled up tubes of paper and a coffee that slipped precariously in his grip.

Harry instinctively shot his hand up to grab it and stop it spilling on them both (as well as the several other commuters jammed up against them) and the stranger smiled at him gratefully.

Harry was able to yank one of his headphones out, and did something that he and every other Londoner never, _ever_ did. He opened his mouth. "That was close," he said as the train took off again, his fingers still resting on the styrofoam cup.

"Thanks," the blond guy said, though still clearly struggling with all his possessions clutched to his chest. "I hate being that dickhead with too much luggage in rush hour."

Harry grinned. "At least you're trying to be small," he said. "People who keep their massive rucksacks on are the worst."

"Oh," said Draco. "I tell them to take them off."

"You don't," said Harry impressed. He favoured the more passive aggressive shove in the side, hoping the bag's owner would get the hint.

"I do," the stranger said with a flick on an eyebrow that made Harry's stomach flip. "I'm not afraid of a firm tap on the shoulder."

He grinned and Harry laughed as they pulled into the next station, and Harry really hoped his new friend was going to stay on. But the guy gave him a sigh and a smile, and as the doors opened he started slipping through the throng to get out. "Have a good day," he said as he left Harry and hopped onto the platform.

Harry felt yet another jab in the ribs, and shifted around to make room for whoever was behind him. But then it came again, and he looked round annoyed. He was met with a wizened old lady who was sat on the seat next to his legs glaring at him. "This is your stop isn't it?" she said crossly.

Harry blinked at her. "No," he said slowly as the last few people forced their way inside the carriage. "I've got another three to go?"

The old lady huffed and rolled her eyes. "You really going to let a tall drink of water walk off on you like that?" she croaked, a devilish glint in her eye.

Harry's own eyes widened. "No, I'm bloody not," he cried, face breaking into an enormous smile. "Excuse me, thank you, coming through!"

He thought he caught the sound of an old lady's cackle as he managed to press his way between the last couple of people and jump off the train just as the doors closed. He took a deep breath and nodded to himself. He might be late for work now, but he didn't care, he had to find that guy.

He sped through the crowd as they all surged up the stairs and along the escalators. Harry's head whipped back and forth, trying to catch a glimpse of light blond hair amongst the masses but he was at the higher level now and the ticket barriers loomed; he'd lost him.

"Not yet," he growled to himself, snatching his oyster card from his pocket and tapping out.

They were in one of these ghastly central London stations where there were numerous different exits, but as luck would have it Harry just managed to catch a glimpse of blond heading up the stairs to his left, and he tore after him, darting around the other sleepy passengers.

"Excuse me, thank you – yes – can I just – thank you!"

He was so hell bent on running up the stairs he almost ran straight into a figure stood still at the top outside, staring ardently down at a map on his phone.

"Urgh," grunted Harry and righted himself, squinting in the bright sunshine. "Sorry I just-"

"Hello again," came an amused voice, and Harry looked up startled to realised he'd managed to crash into the object of his chase.

"Hi," he said breathlessly.

The blond guy looked him up and down. "Sorry, if I'd have known you were getting off too I would have walked with you."

Harry shook his head as his mouth went dry. The guy would have _walked_ with him? That was a good sign! "I erm, wasn't. Getting off, I mean. I just-" He stopped and inhaled slowly and deeply. "This might be way out of line, but I was wondering _ifIcouldgetyournumber,"_ he blurted out before he could change his mind.

The guy stopped looking at his phone and gave Harry his full attention. "You want my number?" he asked, and Harry's insides ran cold.

"I mean," I thought – if that's not appropriate then don't worry at all, I'll just-"

"I'm late," said the guy, and Harry's insides contracted further. "So why don't you give me yours, seeing as I've already got my phone out."

"Huh?"

He waved his smart phone awkwardly from where he'd been looking at his map moments before, and suddenly Harry felt a lot less stupid. "Oh!" he said. "Um, sure, yeah." He rattled off his digits quickly, so quickly he worried he might have got a couple the wrong way round. But the guy was already back on the map and frowning.

"Oh, what's your name?" he called as he started melting into the crowd.

"Harry," he called back quickly. "I'm Harry!"

The guy nodded. "Talk later Harry," he cried, before being swallowed by the horde of pedestrians.

Harry looked after him for a bit, but finally had to admit that he had gone on his way. So with a sigh he trudged back down into the station again, and forced his way back onto the joy that was the Central Line.

Once in the office, Harry busied himself drying off in the gents before heading to the kitchen and making a cup of tea. "I gave him the wrong number," he mumbled to himself, having now checked his phone six times since re-emerging from the underground. "Or he thinks I'm a weirdo."

By the time lunchtime rolled around he'd become fed up with himself and locked his phone in his drawer, refusing to look at it for the rest of the afternoon and occupying himself with his latest deadline. Which was a shame, because by the time he finally cracked and pulled it out again a little after four o'clock, he had three messages and two missed calls from an unknown number.

His heart leapt and he made a sort of strangled noise which made the guy in the cubicle opposite him look up in surprise.

 _Hello Harry, this is Draco._

Draco, he thought. That was an unusual name. He decided with a smile he liked it, and scrolled down to the next two messages.

 _The coffee guy from the tube._

 _Sorry, you're probably busy at work, but I'm worried you thought I was rude this morning. I was just late. Can I make it up to you with drinks tonight? Sorry if I'm pestering you, I thought you might be eagerly awaiting my call! J/K. Not really Dxxx_

Harry didn't care what his co-worker thought, he was grinning like a loon.

 _Hey!_ he typed back. _Don't worry, I just had a busy day. Drinks sound great, let me know where and when._

He pressed send. Then, on an afterthought:

 _I might have checked my phone once or twice this morning Hxxx_

End


End file.
